The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement led by Christian women who welcome you to join in prayer and action for peace and justice.
The World Day of Prayer service video for 2023 is available to watch online now. The 55 minute video, produced by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada, can be watched at any time. A 24 minute children's video is also available.
The women who wrote the World Day of Prayer Service this year are from Taiwan. The Theme is “I Have Heard About Your Faith”. Based on the letter to the Ephesians, it is an invitation to active listening, which is the ground of our prayers. Following the example of the letter (1:15-19), where the author praises the church for their faith in Jesus and love toward all the saints, the worship service contextualizes the witness of the saints with the stories from Taiwan.
March 3, 2023 is the official date chosen as the World Day of Prayer.
World Day of Prayer services will also be held in-person in Fredericton:
Friday, March 3, 2:00 p.m. at Nashwaaksis United Church, 46 Main Street. Reception to follow.
Storm date: March 5, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 12, 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul’s United Church, 224 York Street. Reception to follow.
Monetary donations go toward expenses incurred in preparing the World Day of Prayer service, and providing grants to support women and children around the world who are fighting injustice and abuse. Donate online to the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada, or mail a cheque to 47 Queen’s Park Crescent East, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C3. Receipts are provided for all donation of $20 or more.
If you have questions about the work of the Council or the 2023 prayer services, please contact Debbie Heustis with Fredericton Women’s Inter-Church. (506) 472-2916.
This Prayer Diary, created by Mothers' Union, contains daily and monthly prayers. You are encouraged to use it to facilitate your devotions. Each month in the colourful book begins with a reflection, an opening prayer and a creative prayer activity.
"As we use this resource, we remember that we are united with each other, wherever we are, in our prayers. May we continue to seek transformation in our world and in our lives, with the profound knowledge that God is with us and shines through us," says Sheran Harper, worldwide President of Mothers' Union.
Mothers’ Union is a Christian organisation that has been supporting families worldwide for over 140 years. Started by founder Mary Sumner in 1876 in her local parish, it has grown into an international charity with over 4 million members in 84 countries.
As a Christian membership charity, Mothers' Union demonstrates faith in action. This happens as they work towards stopping poverty, stopping inequality and stopping injustice. Members work at grassroots level around the world. They bring hope and practical support to millions of people every year through parenting, literacy and community development programmes.
Prayer is at the heart of their work. Members come together every day at midday to focus prayers for their communities, fellow members and for those in need, in the belief that the power of prayer is transformational and supports their work around the world.
Despite the name, Mothers' Union is an inclusive organisation with a growing number of men.
Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life
By Fr. Richard Rohr Jossey-Bass / 2011 / 240 pages
I’m sure I may have noticed a few little hidden smirks when I mentioned to my Bible Study group that I was going to do a book review of Father Richard Rohr’s “Falling Upward” for our website.
You see, my Bible Study group know all too well that Fr. Richard and I have a love/hate relationship. They had to listen to my rants when I didn’t understand him (he has a tendency to be a bit more pedantic than I felt necessary!). “Why didn’t he just say that?” was a frequent complaint of mine. But, since we have never met, maybe I should admit that love/hate relationship is pretty one-sided.
Father Rohr is a Franciscan priest living in New Mexico. He founded the Centre for Action and Contemplation in 1986 and serves as its Founding Director. He is the author of more than 20 books and an internationally known speaker. In researching him a bit, I found lots of glowing reviews!
Thus it was that I was quite impressed and excited to read this book - Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life.
Very early on in the book, Fr. Rohr says this: “It takes a foundational trust to fall or to fail - and not fall apart. Faith alone holds you while you stand waiting and hoping and trusting.” I can relate to this as I recall my nine year old stepson telling me that if I would just let myself fall, I would learn to ski. Never happened. I just couldn’t let go and drop!
And through most of this book, I think I just kept refusing to accept that falling is a necessary part of growing up - mentally, physically and ultimately spiritually.
As I skim through the book to write this, I think I need a re-read with a more open mind because I know this book provided a lot of challenging thinking and discussion for our group (did I mention that I found him to be needlessly pedantic in places which annoyed me to no end?). 🙂
Briefly, Falling Upward is all about the different phases of growing up, of gaining wisdom in our everyday lives and growing spiritually as we add years. Much more detail than this, but I will let you discover that for yourself!
As much as you frustrated me Richard, you made me think - and think again.
-- by Gail MacGillivray
Publisher's Description:
In Falling Upward, Father Richard Rohr―the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation―offers a new paradigm for understanding one of the most profound of life's mysteries: how our failings can be the foundation for our ongoing spiritual growth. Drawing on the wisdom from time-honored myths, heroic poems, great thinkers, and sacred religious texts, the author explores the two halves of life to show that those who have fallen, failed, or "gone down" are the only ones who understand "up." We grow spiritually more by doing it wrong than by doing it right. With rare insight, Rohr takes us on a journey to give us an understanding of how the heartbreaks, disappointments, and first loves of life are actually stepping stones to the spiritual joys that the second half of life has in store for us.
As part of our Cathedral Faces series, we are sharing biographies of our staff members and clergy. These dedicated individuals contribute a lot to our community, in ways seen and unseen, and we are thankful for their work.
Born in Illinois but raised in Littleton, Colorado, Kurt Schmidt has lived in Fredericton since 2006. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Colorado College (1997—major in Mathematics, minor in African Studies) and an MEd from the Institute for Humane Education in Surry, Maine (2011).
Kurt considers himself an educator at heart, and has spent the last 15 years working as a teacher in diverse contexts and at various levels. Kurt’s own spiritual journey includes formative periods among his Jesuit teachers and mentors in high school, with monastic friends during university, and alongside members of L’Arche communities in both Canada and the United States.
A lover of music, dogs, poetry and soccer (the real football!), Kurt lives in downtown Fredericton with his wife Catherine (an occupational therapist) and daughter Rachel.
Kurt says he is honoured and blessed to be part of the Staff Team as Director of Christian Formation, serving God and the dynamic Cathedral congregation.
When Kurt was chosen for the position in 2017, we posted an article which described the role as "a turning point for the Cathedral congregation. Kurt’s title is not 'youth leader,' 'teacher,' or 'Sunday School Superintendent.' First and foremost Kurt’s role will be to facilitate, using an intergenerational approach to ministry, opportunities for us to learn from one another. Together, we will help to form, shape, mould and conform one another in Christian faith. Kurt’s job is to help make that happen in our midst."
To learn more about what brought Kurt to Fredericton and the Anglican Church, read Gisele McKnight's article, Kurt Schmidt: My Journey Here, originally published in the NB Anglican. It's an interesting story, which begins, "Had it not been for a conversation with a nun from Chicago, Kurt Schmidt might never had ended up in Fredericton"...
Why not add something to your devotional life to mark a fresh start?
Choose from the following list of diverse opportunities on the Advent weekdays to deepen your prayer and/or study and/or worship. You are encouraged and invited to add at least one new Advent-ure to your schedule this year!
*** Events begin after the first Sunday of Advent (27 November, 2022) ***
MONDAYS
So What About the Bible (Anyway)? Reflective study on the nature and purpose(s) of the biblical scriptures. Led by Cheryl Jacobs. In-person and livestreamed (hybrid), 2:00-3:00 p.m. from the Boardroom of Cathedral Memorial Hall.
* Please reserve your ‘seat’ with Cheryl or Kurt.
TUESDAYS
Art & Faith: Short, guided weekly meditation on a work of art related to the prior Sunday’s Gospel and in the tradition of Ignatian (imaginative) contemplation. 5:30-6:00 p.m. on Zoom.
* Link through the Cathedral Calendar or from Kurt.
WEDNESDAYS
December—Month of Miracles: Advent 2022 Talks with retired Bishop Bill Hockin and musical guests.
7 December - “A Friend Who Changes Everything”
14 December - “Miracles on the Margin”
* 12:15-1:00 p.m., Christ Church (Parish) Church
THURSDAYS
Virtual Taizé worship: A simple and contemplative half hour of scripture, prayer, and song. 5:30pm start.
1 and 15 December on Zoom
8 and 22 December in-person and livestreamed from Christ Church Cathedral
* Link through the Cathedral Calendar or from Kurt.
FRIDAYS
Adoratio: A simple and contemplative, Celtic-flavoured half hour of scripture, prayer(s) and quiet in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. 5:30 p.m., Christ Church Cathedral Side (Lady) Chapel.
* Just drop in!
DAILY / ONGOING
Divine Office: Regular (and brief) daily prayer, each weekday in the Cathedral. Morning Prayer at 8:45 a.m., Evening Prayer at 4:45 p.m.
* Just drop in!
Divine Comedy: Reflective study of Dante’s poetic masterpiece. Led by Alan Hall. Thursday evenings, 7:00-8:00 p.m., Cathedral Memorial Hall Lounge.
* Just drop in!
Holy Eucharist: Wednesday mornings, 10:00 a.m. in the Cathedral.
Questions or expressions of interest can be communicated to Cathedral Director of Christian Formation, Kurt Schmidt by email <formation at christchurchcathedral.com> or by phone/text to (506) 259-3711. Thank you, and Advent Blessings!
Advent candles are available from Mothers’ Union after 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. worship on November 20 and 27. The cost is $20 for a set of five candles and the booklet 'Celebrating Advent at Home.’ Candle sets can also be ordered by contacting Susan Watson <bagel.watson at hotmail.com>.
Not Just a Stopgap: Building Genuine Community Online
A workshop with AST Alumna Dawn Léger - Monday, November 28, 2022, via Zoom 8:00 pm Atlantic | 7:00 pm Eastern - Free of charge
About the Speaker
Dawn Léger (AST '06) is co-pastor of Harbor Online Community, an international, fully online church ministering to a wide array of Jesus followers. You can find Harbor Online at www.onlineharbor.org.
In 2020, most churches in North America made investments in online technology to minister to their people during lockdown. A surprising result was meeting visitors from all over the world. Dawn will share the story of her online church, Harbor Online Community, from its start as a house church, to making the transition online, and why it stayed there. You will hear what is being learned about ministry and leadership and about opportunities for building more online ministries using existing investments.
This workshop is for all clergy or lay leaders who wish to begin an online ministry or to continue online ministries that started during the pandemic.
This event will take place online-only, via Zoom. Please register using the link below, and the Zoom link will be sent to you.
Everywhere Holy
By Kara Lawlor
Thomas Nelson Publications / 2019 / 224 pages
Sitting with this book in my lap as I try to write a book review - a task I haven’t undertaken since Grade 12 - I am enjoying these unexpected balmy November days. I’m looking at the still pink hydrangea from my seat on the couch and reflecting on the still blooming sweet peas that I can see from my kitchen window.
The truth is I can also see the barren branches of a normal November and the squishy yellow Hosta leaves that need cleaning up. And therein lies the basis of Everywhere Holy by Kara Lawler.
Kara Lawler is a writer and teacher whose work has been featured on the Huffington Post and Parenting magazine. She and her husband and two children live on a farm in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania.
Everywhere Holy is a very easy read and the message contained therein is simple- we can see God everywhere. We just have to be open to looking.
-- by Gail MacGillivray
Publisher's Description:
Popular writer and blogger Kara Lawler shows how to embrace the sacred in mundane, ordinary life--and in the process, discover themselves. Life doesn't have to be lived on grand mountaintops for it to be meaningful. We can see God at work right where we are: in our ordinary and mundane routines, in the faces of our family and friends, and--especially--in nature. In beautiful prose, Lawler describes the unique sacredness found in God's creation and offers fifteen inspiring insights for cultivating it day-to-day. She encourages you to make this lifestyle change through the observance of small acts. In so doing, you will discover a holy space that honors God and the life you’ve been given--and will discover yourselfand your unique place in the holy that is everywhere, whether it’s in the woods behind your house or in the face of a stranger on a bus in a busy city. No matter where you are, there is holy free for the taking.
Have you been wondering? Why has 'Sunday School' been replaced by 'GodlyPlay'? What's it all about?
Since the Fall of 2017, the Cathedral's Sunday morning Christian formation for children has been using a methodology called GodlyPlay. Through the pandemic we carried on through Zoom and are excited to be back to in-person this Fall.
GodlyPlay is an innovative method of faith formation for childhood and beyond, allowing participants to experience faith-building stories through intentional storytelling and imaginative wondering.
This method of teaching children was created by Dr. Jerome Berryman, an Episcopal priest (now retired) and scholar on the theology of childhood and the Montessori approach to religious education. It is used across the globe and across many denominations. It is also no longer just used for children. Overseen by the GodlyPlay Foundation and its International Council, standardized training is required of those who are to be 'teachers.'
The mission of the GodlyPlay Foundation is: Making meaning through story, wonder, and play. Nurturing spiritual lives by honoring the centrality, competency, and capacity of children.
A session held in the old Godly Play room, in the basement of Memorial Hall
A GodlyPlay session consists of four intentional movements (a basic liturgical structure): welcome and opening; sharing and responding to the story of the day (including wondering together and choosing a form of "work" as response); keeping the feast; and conclusion and dismissal. There are two teacher roles: the storyteller and the door person (think of the best greeter at a church door). At this time, the Cathedral has only two trained teachers, so we alternate these roles each session.
GodlyPlay lessons are told with a combination of an oral story and storytelling objects. The stories and movements are learned by heart by the storyteller. A story is followed by a number of "I wonder" questions to invite responses from the children. Through these planned stories and materials, which follow a rhythm through the year, children learn the art of using Christian language – parable, sacred story, silence and liturgical action – helping them become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives.
The storytelling objects are not just visual aids for a story but are intended to be played with and further explored through the 'work' time. They come in many forms; for example: some stories are told using a set of painted pictures (you may be familiar with the Faces of Jesus that has been presented during worship on Good Friday), the Old Testament exodus stories use wooden figures and a small sand pile (the desert), and the parables use a combination of felt and flat painted pieces to lay out a moving storybook page. We are grateful for those who have created or helped us to purchase our storytelling objects.
The GodlyPlay room is laid out intentionally so that the materials for any given story are always in the same place and located with those of similar types of stories. We have a focal shelf unit holding the big picture stories, Old Testament shelves, New Testament/Lent/Easter shelves, and we are pleased to have received a new set of shelves for our Parable stories. Thanks to Jim Waugh for building these shelves.
During the 'work'/response time, children can choose to explore any story further, read a storybook, or create something using paints, modelling clay, felt and other craft materials. It is always the child's choice what their 'work' will be.
Our 'feast' time reminds us that we are a community that gathers around a shared meal. This is a simple snack - this time of year we enjoy apple slices and water - much like the Eucharist uses common foods. And we give thanks for our feast so that we remember to live all of our life with gratitude. The welcoming and dismissals are also intentional, focusing on each child in turn as they enter and leave the room.
With GodlyPlay, our 'Sunday School' time is not just about learning lessons or keeping children entertained. It is about locating each lesson in the whole system of Christian language and involving the creative process to discover the depths of meaning in them. It’s about understanding how each of the stories of God’s people connects with the child’s own experience and relationship with God. GodlyPlay respects the innate spirituality of children and encourages curiosity and imagination in experiencing the mystery and joy of God.
Children 4 and up are invited to join this adventure every second Sunday, beginning to gather at 9:15am, in the Christian Formation room in Memorial Hall. We would also welcome any who would like to explore this ministry further to speak with us and consider taking a training session. Contact Kurt Schmidt or Cheryl Jacobs, or inquire through the Cathedral Office.
Spiritual Direction originated as spiritual mentoring in monasteries, but it is now offered by retreat centers, congregations, and individuals. It is a unique one-to-one relationship in which a trained person assists another person in the search for ever-closer connections with God (however you might call the "something more" beyond yourself), to your true self, and to those in the world around you.
Spiritual Direction encourages you to explore a deeper relationship with the spiritual dimensions of human existence by telling your own sacred story.
Spiritual Direction is more about "holy listening" than of providing "direction" in the sense of offering instructions, assignments, or direct advice, although that sometimes happens and can be requested. A spiritual director listens carefully to the unfolding of your life to help you discern the ways you are being led to a deeper and richer life.
If you are interested in exploring Spiritual Direction, contact Deacon Debbie Edmondson by email <dedmondson at cccath.ca> or phone (506) 282-1015.
“Spiritual direction explores a deeper relationship with the spiritual aspect of being human. Simply put, spiritual direction is helping people tell their sacred stories every day."
— Liz Budd Ellmann, former Executive Director, Spiritual Directors International
John Stackhouse is the Samuel J. Mikolaski Professor of Religious Studies and Dean of Faculty Development at Crandall University in Moncton.
On 12 October, 2022, he will present a lecture in Christ Church Cathedral, hosted by the Anglican Diocese of Fredericton, offering a diagnosis, prognosis, and prescription for the condition of contemporary Canadian Christianity. The title of the lecture is Thick Churches: The Answer to Christianity's Decline in Canada.
This presentation is open to all, regardless of denominational affiliation or faith connection, and will be available in person at Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton or through webinar format. There is no change for admission.
Professor Stackhouse will sum up the grounds of the Canadian Confederation in three sentences; the religious history of Canada in three stages; and the social history of Canada in five minutes. He will show that we are now in a post-Christian Canada and, more broadly, in a post-postmodern civilization. For many of our neighbours, the Christian Church seems like an enemy and the Christian gospel a threat. How, therefore, can Canadian Christians remain faithful to God while also reaching out in useful and welcome service to our fellow citizens?
Progessor Stackhouse has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Edinburgh, Bristol, Hong Kong, Macquarie, and Otago universities as well as across Canada. His work has been featured by media as diverse as The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Times Literary Supplement, ABC News, and CBC Radio.
Click here to register for the lecture on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, 7:00-8:30 p.m. (virtual or in-person).
Questions can be directed to Shawn C. Branch, Parish Development, Anglican Diocese of Fredericton, (506) 459-1801 ext 1008.
The World Day of Prayer is a global ecumenical movement led by Christian women who welcome you to join in prayer and action for peace and justice.
